Identity 

We are a sharing Christian community living out Jesus’s vision for a loving and just society.

Purpose 

The purpose of Ashfield Baptist Church is to:

  • celebrate God’s presence through worship
  • grow in spiritual maturity
  • communicate the good news of Jesus Christ in word and action
  • serve others with our God-given gifts
  • share with and care for each other, and
  • work towards a fairer world.

We do all of this through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Beliefs

We have a strong foundation of core Christian beliefs.

  • There is one eternal God who is powerful, wise, holy and loving.
  • God is known to us in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
  • Jesus Christ is the Son of God and became human so that God’s nature and human nature became united in one person.
  • The Bible is the word of God, written by people through the power of the Holy Spirit, and our ultimate guide to faith and life.
  • People were made in the image of God and for fellowship with God, but sin separates us from God.
  • The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ allows us to be reconciled with God through the forgiveness of sin.
  • We can return to God through His gracious gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and by faith. The Holy Spirit enables us to accept this gift and put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
  • After death, we will live again forever in God’s presence. 
  • Jesus will return to the world in glory to judge the living and the dead and his Kingdom will never end. 
  • Our local church is the gathering of believers in Jesus to express our common faith, encourage one another, worship God, and help each other answer God’s call to follow Him in every aspect of our lives.
  • Baptism is a public sign that a person has chosen to follow Jesus. In our church, we do this by total immersion in water so the person identifies with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

Values

Diversity

  • We believe and preach core Christian teachings, but value being a safe place for people to be curious and ask difficult questions about life and faith without fear. 
  • We value the perspectives and gifts brought by people of different ethnicities, cultures, languages, life experiences, genders, ages and faith backgrounds.
  • We can disagree with each other about many things, yet remain connected through our common faith in Jesus and commitment to our church family. 

Inclusion

  • We choose to be welcoming and friendly to every person we come in contact with.
  • We believe everyone has a contribution to make, and encourage people to explore and develop their God-given gifts.
  • We value the leadership and ministry of women, and the inclusion of people of all ages and backgrounds in our ministry and worship. 

Growth

  • We value having church family members who are spiritually alive, growing in their faith, and listening to the Holy Spirit.
  • We are open to change and different ways of doing things.
  • We enjoy exploring our creativity and imagination in the ways we worship and follow Jesus.

Focussed outwards

  • We care about our community and our world in a practical way.
  • It is important to us to participate in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who don’t know him – in Ashfield and throughout the world.